West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-03-25
Price 8 Cents

reaches such q condition it does moi
pay to attempt to recuperatc it and
compel it to produce crop at the
same time. The greatest difficulty
with farmers in such cases is, that
while they are willing to invest in
fertilizers they hesitate at the loss
of time and the products that would
necessarily be expected from the
land. And therefore while the pro-
per plan for recuperating the soil is
to omit cropping it for season, the
method is not generally adopted.
The soil can be rested from labor, as
is done under the fallow system, but
such plan is too slow. Something
should be added to it, in order to
assist the process of recuperation.
As an impoverished soil is supposed
to be too poor to produce anything,
it is not an easy matter to resort to
green manuring, but green manurins
1.-THE turning under of some special
crop for that purpose) is the only
lasting and permanent method of
improvement.
Az beginning, lime, which is the
cheapest fertilizer, should be used
as dressing in the fall, broadcas
ting it over the ground after blowing
it. Then rye should be thickly
sown and the ground narrowed.
There will be but little benefit dc
rived from the lime before spring,
its action being slow, nor will the
rye make much progress, but when
the spring opens the lime will have
liberated sufficient nourishment from
the soil to induce moderate growth
of the rye. AS the rye may be
plowed under at any time, it should
be turned under as soon as it shows
signs of failure. A beginning will
have been made, for the young green
rye will have quickly decomposed,
while the lime will still continue to
be beneficial. The rye may be fol-
lowed by mixture of oats and field
peas, which will derive their nour
ishment from the lime and decaying
rye, and fair growth may be ex-
pected. AS it is not necessary Ia
mature the crop, it should also be
turned under in time for crop Of
buckwheat or millet, the former be-
| ing preferable, which will make suf-
ficient progress to thickly cover the
ground by fall, when it should also
be plowed under, the land again
broadcasted and re-seeded to rye.
1t will not require large quantity
of lime. Ten bushels of air Stacked
lime per acre, in n fine condition, ut
each application will be sufficient on
a majority Of soils.
The rye will make sufficient
growth to be turned under when the
season for planting corn arrives.
and, as a years time will have been
lost in growing the manurial crops.
the farmer will he desirous Of secur-
ing something to recompense him
for his loss. If, however, instead of
50 doing, he will hurdle sheep upon
the land. thereby deriving the bene-
fit of their droppings, and also turn
ing under the ground as fast as the
hurdles arc moved, other crops may
be seeded down for the use of the
sheep, and the land may be sown To
wheat in the spring. BY thus de
voting the first year to the growth
Of manurial crops, and pasturing
sheep with hurdles the second year,
the land will be permanently rcstor-
ed to fertility, and may be rendered
annually productive with good man.
agement, while the sheep will not
only pay for the expenses the second
year, but give profit as well. Con
sidering the value impaired to the
land in being rendered more fertile,
and the increasing yields which IL
will offer, the method is really eco.
nomical, as the gain the third year
will more than repay the loss oftime
and labor incurred in its restoration
to fertility.